Parallel looper-stitching device

ABSTRACT

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, there is provided a combination of elements for a sewing machine for effecting sideby-side parallel spaced-apart looper-stitching of which typically one looper-stitch seam is utilized for the mounting of the zipper spaced from a fabric edge while the other parallel looper-stitch seam envelops the fabric edge with the loops of the looper stitches, the parallel looper stitching being made by the inventive combination which includes two pairs of laterally positioned needles with the edge-looper stitching pair slightly off-set rearwardly to the typically zipper-stitching-position pair of needles, with there being provided an appropriate broadfaced sewing machine foot suitably broad to laterally guide the zipper thereunder while concurrently the fabric-aligned edge thereof includes a cut-away portion facilitating the edge enveloping loop-forming during the concurrent reciprocation of the pairs of needles together with a concurrent lateral to and fro reciprocation of a pair of loop-forming adjacent and intermittently fixedly connected looper-arms reciprocatable beneath the platen-plate one in alignment with the first pair of needles and the other in alignment with the second pair of needles, together with appropriate fabric-advancing claws for suitably advancing the entire fabric beneath the sewing machine foot and the pairs of needles.

United States Patent 91 Galya et al.

[ 1 Nov. 18,1975

1 1 PARALLEL LOOPER-STITCHING DEVICE [76] Inventors: William Galya, Rte. No. 2, merriden Drive, Brewster, NY. 10509; Jack E. Shuffield, 29 Carpenter Ave., Norwood, NJ. 07648 221 Filed: May 31,1974

21 Appl. No.: 475,037

Primary Examiner-41. Hampton Hunter [57] ABSTRACT In a preferred embodiment of the invention, there is provided a combination of elements for a sewing machine for effecting side-by-side parallel spaced-apart looper-stitching of which typically one looper-stitch seam is utilized for the mounting of the zipper spaced from a fabric edge while the other parallel looperstitch seam envelops the fabric edge with the loops of the looper stitches, the parallel looper stitching being made by the inventive combination which includes two pairs of laterally positioned needles with the edgelooper stitching pair slightly off-set rearwardly to the typically zipper-stitching-position pair of needles, with there being provided an appropriate broad-faced sewing machine foot suitably broad to laterally guide the zipper thereunder while concurrently the fabricaligned edge thereof includes a cut-away portion facilitating the edge enveloping loop-forming during the concurrent reciprocation of the pairs of needles together with a concurrent lateral to and fro reciprocation of a pair of loop-forming adjacent and intermittently fixedly connected looper-arms reciprocatable beneath the platen-plate one in alignment with the first pair of needles and the other in alignment with the second pair of needles, together with appropriate fabric-advancing claws for suitably advancing the entire fabric beneath the sewing machine foot and the pairs of needles.

2 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures US. Patent Nov. 18, 1975 Sheetlof3 3,919,942

U.S. Patent Nov. 18, 1975 Sheet20f3 3,919,942

Sheet 3 of 3 U.S. Patent Nov. 18, 1975 PARALLEL LOOPER-STITCHING DEVICE The present invention is directed to a novel doublelooper-stitching sewing machine of an industrial type for concurrent mounting of a separate sewable article onto a fabric made from the edge and a parallel looper stitched edge-enveloping seaming of the fabric edge.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION Prior to the present invention there have existed looper-stitch devices for the looper-stitch sewing of articles onto a fabric as a zipper-strip, such a combination conventionally having one needle longer than the other and simultaneously reciprocatable in side-by-side relationship in the same manner as that of the present in vention. However, such a stitching operation requires normally a different type of apparatus than normally would be adaptable for the seaming of the edge of the fabric and accordingly in order to maintain the speed of operation and production essential on an industrial scale, there was required normally two sets of sewing machines, not merely an exchanging of mounted parts upon a single sewing machine, if greater production and thereby cost to the consumer should be maintained at minimal level. However, the very fact of the necessity of having dual machines as well as the fact each article was required to be twice sent through the one or more machines for the separate sewing operation, resulted in the increased cost of labor on a time basis as well as additional handling time and labor thereof for the different operations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, the objects of the present invention are to obviate problems, difficulties and disadvantages of the type noted above, together with obtaining other novel advantages and inventive combinations.

Another object is to obtain an apparatus of simple construction and operation to hold-down the cost of manufacturing machine parts as well as the cost of training operaters and the ease thereof for effecting the preceding objects.

Another object is to obtain a new combination of elements that may be incorporated onto existing industrial sewing machines thereby obviating the needs for an entire re-tooling in order to utilize the present invention.

Another object is to obtain the preceding advantages and apparatus combination while obtaining concurrently a dependable and durable mechanism of operation of parts.

Other objects, become apparent from the preceding and following disclosure. One or more objects of the present invention are obtained by the invention as defined herein.

Broadly the invention includes a combination of industrial type sewing machine elements for effecting parallel seams of looper-stitches spaced apart from one another and obtained by a common reciprocation of a sewing machine needle-mounting reciprocatable structure upwardly and downwardly above sewing machine platen plate, together with a broad faced sewing machine foot mountable conveniently as a single foot on a single support structure for a sewing machine foot, with there being appropriate apertures or openings through the sewing machine foot for the reciprocation therethrough of the two needles of each pair of needles, with one pair being off-set rearwardly to the other pair and having aligned with each pair beneath the platen plate suitable laterally reciprocatable looper-stitch arms of conventional structure and shape but in accord with the present invention, one off-set rearwardly to the other aligned with the above pairs of needles, one with one pair and the other with pair of needles and with the looper-stitch laterally reciprocatable arms also being preferably downwardly reciprocatable concurrently and intermittently fixed to one-another for preferably mounting on a common reciprocation-inparting structure which typically otherwise might ordinary be used for reciprocating a single looper-stitch arm. Additionally, however, preferably an edge of the platen plate is cut-away for the edge-most pair of looperstitching needles thereby making possible another novel aspect of the present invention, particularly when considered in combination with the inwardly-spaced looper-stitching pair of needles and its corresponding laterally reciprocatable looper arm, the cut-away portion making possible an edge-enveloping looper-stitch in the edge-stitching of the fabric. As with conventional looper-stitching needle-pairs, one needle extends downwardly longer than the other while both needles reciprocate on a common reciprocating structure for the pair. In the present invention, both pairs are reciprocating on a common reciprocating structure reciprocatable upwardly and downwardly. Additionally, coordinated with the above elements and their time of operation, is a claw fabric-advancing structure of a conventional type but having a circumscribing u-shaped actuation structure such that the actuation structure thereof does not interfere with the mechanism of the pairs of needles and their respective paired laterally and reciprocatable looper arm.

The invention may be better understood by making reference to the Figures as follow.

THE FIGURES FIG. 1 illustrates an in-part view of perspective frontside view, a typical and preferred embodiment of the present invention shown in operation in the stitching of a zipper strip onto a fabric while concurrently bindstitching the edge of the fabric, both operations effecting looper-stitching with edge-stitching be an edge enveloping looper-stitching.

FIG. 2 illustrates a view as taken in partial crosssection to the fabric and the platen plate and the sewing machine foot, as taken along lines 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 illustrates a view as taken in partial crosssection along line 33 of FIG. 2, further illustrating also a mechanism of the paired laterally-reciprocating looper-arms beneath the platen plate and the pairs of needles.

FIG. 4 illustrates a view analogous to that of FIG. 3, except for illustrating the paired lever arms and the upwardly and downwardly reciprocating needles in nextoccuring positions for each respectively.

FIG. 5 illustrates a view of the platen plate claw fabric-advancing structure as viewed in an in-part elevation plan view thereof as taken along lines 55 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 illustrates an enlarged view taken in-part from that view as shown in FIG. 1, more fully illustrating the off-set pairs of needle commonly mounted.

FIG. 7 illustrates a cross-sectional view as taken along lines 7-7 of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 illustrates the appearance of a completed fabric sewn as shown in FIG. 1, in an in-part view, as would be viewed in elevation plan view thereof.

FIG. 9 illustrates the same as FIG. 8 except in a bottom elevation plan view thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION FIGS. 1 through 7 illustrates different views, of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate the typical appearance of the upper and lower surfaces respectively of a finished product utilizing the present invention.

More particularly, FIG. 1 discloses an in-part view of the sewing machine 10 having mounted thereon the inventive combination 11. As a part of the invention combination there are the dual paired needles 12 commonly mounted on an upwardly-downwardly reciprocatable structure 13 of a conventional nature for an industrial sewing machine, a foot-mounting support 13a also of the conventional nature mounting the inventive foot structure 13b having aperture and cut-away portions thereof 14 communicating with free space 150 interior to the stepped lateral structure 15b which extends laterally inwardly to form a part of the back wall of the aperture 14, the full aperture 16 of which the free space 14 is a part, the aperture 17, and the aperture 18 extending through the foot plate 13b. The forward end of the plate 13b includes turned-up portion 19 facilitatable of feeding fabric there beneath. The individual needles include a first pair of interiorly stepped pair of needles 20a and 20b and an posteriorlystepped needles 21a and 21b. These elements and their relationships may be seen in the FIG. 1 but also more visibly in additional Figures such as FIGS. 2, 3, 4 and 6.

The FIG. 2 illustrates beneath the plate the upright portion 22 and 23 of the looper elements which may be seen in side view in FIG. 3 and in FIG. 4 in different working position relative to the threads of the respective needles and of the looper arms themselves. Also viewable is the common support of the dual looper arms, as support 24 pivoted on support arm 25a around a shaft 25b, pivoted to and fro by virtue of the lever actuating structure 26a which in FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrates the extended actuation lever 26b itself. Each of FIGS.

1 through 4 and FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrates the zipper strip 27 and the fabric 28 to which it is being sewn and which fabric also is being stitched at its edge. The fabric 28 is side stitched along its edge 29. The upper surface of the fabric 28 is illustrated in FIG. 8'as 28a and the lower surface thereof in FIG. 9 as 28b.

The sewing machine platen plate is illustrated at 39. Also viewable in FIGS. 2, 3, 4 and 5 is the reciprocatable claw structure 32 with its lever structure 33 and actuation reciprocatable structure 34. In each of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, as well as in the completed producted of FIGS. 8 and 9, there is illustrated the threads 36a, 36b, a, 35b, 37 and 38. FIG. 6 further illustrates the structure 12 in greater detail as an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 1, illustrating in particular the stepped forwardly paired needle structure 40 with its needles 20a and 20b with for example the needle 20a being locked into position by the lock screw 43a, and the posteriorlystepped paired needle structure 41 with its mounted needles 21a and 21b, with the entire structure 12 mounted on the shaft 42 of the structure. 13 illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. 7 further illustrates in cross-section the structure illustrated in FIG. 6, including the lock-screw 43a, as well as the lock screw for the needle 20b, namely the lock-screw 43b, as well as the lock screw 44a for the needle 21a and the lock screw 44b for the needle 21b. Also illustrated is the lock screw 45 for securing the structure 12 on shaft 42.

Accordingly, it may be seen that the paired needles 20a and 20b move in a plane parallel to the paired needles 21a and 21b, with the paired needles 21a and 21b being off-set forwardly or interiorly relative to the posteriorly-off-set paired needles 21a and 21b, and that all needles reciprocate upwardly and downwardly with the shaft 42 through their respective apertures of the plate 13 such that as shown in FIG. 3 the looper lateral arms swing beneath the needle position after which the needles become lowered to engage the threaded claw thereunder after which the lateral swinging arms swing pivotably backwardly to the right as shown in FIG. 4. This relationship and mechanism of forming looper stitches is conventional and operates the same as in a conventional sewing machine except for the fact of the paired structure and except for the fact of the uniqueness of the off-set position making possible the simultaneous and concurrent stitching of the inwardly-spaced zipper-strip while concurrently stitching the edge as well as forming a edge and over-lapping looper stitch for more securely neatly binding the edge.

It is within the scope and contemplation of the present invention to make such variations, modification, and substitution of equivalents as would be apparent to a person of ordinary skill.

We claim: I

1. A dual paired-needle loop-stitching device comprising in combination: needle means including a needle arm structure adapted to be mounted on an upwardly and downwardly reciprocatable needle-action lever, the needle structure providing dual mounting positions for adjacent pairs of needles with the pairs being in substantially parallel planes with one pair off-set rearwardly of and lateral to the other in side-by-side relationship; relative to a direction from a first lateral position to an opposite lateral position, consecutive first and second pairs of needles, each pair of needles having a first elongated needle of each pair and a second short needle and a dual loop-stitch swing-arm means including an upright pivoted arm adapted for to and fro lateral swing-action in an upright plane, and two off-set staggered loop-forming lateral-extending projections mounted for reciprocatable to and fro motion in said upright plane transversely beneath the dual mounting positions with the first projection in travel-path alignment with and beneath one of the pairs of needles and with the second projection in travel-path alignment with and beneath the second of the pairs of needles; and a foot-plate means mounted detachably on a sewing machine foot-support structure, the foot-plate means including a horizontally forwardly-extending plate having first and second through-apertures aligned one next to the other in lateral relationship beneath the first pair of needles and including off-set therefrom a third through-aperture for the first elongated needle of the second pair and a cutaway lateral-plate portion providing through-space for the second short needle of the second pair of needles.

2. A dual paired-needle loop-stitching device of claim 1, including dual claw-pairs of pair-staggered claws and a common actuation structure therefor reciprocatable of the claw-pairs simultaneously in common directions, with the respective claw-pairs positioned in juxtaposition beneath the foot plate and before said through-apertures and said cut-away space. 

1. A dual paired-needle loop-stitching device comprising in combination: needle means including a needle arm structure adapted to be mounted on an upwardly and downwardly reciprocatable needle-action lever, the needle structure providing dual mounting positions for adjacent pairs of needles with the pairs being in substantially parallel planes with one pair off-set rearwardly of and lateral to the other in side-byside relationship; relative to a direction from a first lateral position to an opposite lateral position, consecutive first and second pairs of needles, each pair of needles having a first elongated needle of each pair and a second short needle and a dual loop-stitch swing-arm means including an upright pivoted arm adapted for to and fro lateral swing-action in an upright plane, and two off-set staggered loop-forming lateral-extending projections mounted for reciprocatable to and fro motion in said upright plane transversely beneath the dual mounting positions with the first projection in travel-path alignment with and beneath one of the pairs of needles and with the second projection in travel-path alignment with and beneath the second of the pairs of needles; and a foot-plate means mounted detachably on a sewing machine foot-support structure, the footplate means including a horizontally forwardly-extending plate having first and second through-apertures aligned one next to the other in lateral relationship beneath the first pair of needles and including off-set therefrom a third through-aperture for the first elongated needle of the second pair and a cutaway lateralplate portion providing through-space for the second short needle of the second pair of needles.
 2. A dual paired-needle loop-stitching device of claim 1, including dual claw-pairs of pair-staggered claws and a common actuation structure therefor reciprocatable of the claw-pairs simultaneously in common directions, with the respective claw-pairs positioned in juxtaposition beneath the foot plate and before said through-apertures and said cut-away space. 